Even prior to the current crisis, Yemen’s energy supply was limited with electricity grids losing about 30 per cent of their production capacity. Most of the population and basic service institutions have been without electricity for more than four years and some have resorted to using contaminated diesel generators. As energy needs grow, the gap between supply and demand continues to widen.

Ensuring universal access to affordable electricity by 2030 means investing in clean energy sources such as solar, wind and thermal. In Yemen, solar energy is quickly being adopted and its potential is widely recognized as the country enjoys more than 300 days of sunlight each year.

More broadly, adopting cost-effective standards for a wider range of technologies could reduce global electricity consumption by buildings and industry by 14 per cent. Expanding infrastructure and upgrading technology to provide clean energy in all developing countries is a goal that can both encourage economic growth and help the environment.

Goals in action

Stories

Four years of no electricity supplies has turned people’s life in Yemen upside down. Therefore, the incredible hunger for electricity makes you think that life revolves around the search for energy and little else.